Anything But Ordinary
by Merridews
Summary: Red X has taken Raven hostage, so what happens when she starts developing a Stockholm Syndrome?  Mainly XRae.  Minor Rob/Star and BB/Terra.
1. Hey Cutie

**A/N: **Ah, this is the first time I've attempted to write a Red X/Raven story, and since I only got into this couple recently, I hope it meets you hardcore shippers' standards. :3

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Hey Cutie<strong>

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><p>Never in Raven's life did she imagine herself to be in this situation. Well, not so much her present situation of being in a bathroom, but just the situation of being held captive in general. Disturbingly enough, Raven had no idea how and why she was a hostage in the first place. In fact, she couldn't even remember how she got in this house. One minute she was at Titans Tower, and the next, she ended up here.<p>

The fear of not knowing anything was starting to dawn on her, and the feeling to projectile vomit was coming back to her as well. Raven needed tea and her books… fast.

Thankfully, she was able to at least obtain solitude. Her captor had left her alone in the apartment momentarily; rather confident she wouldn't leave while he was gone.

To her puzzlement, she could never figure out why she was chosen by _this_ villain in the first place. He wasn't anyone that held a particular grudge against Raven, or at least one she knew of. He never even uttered a word to Raven in battle each time they had met.

Robin was more of his focus, but then again, Robin was everyone's focus nowadays. Sometimes she wondered why the boy wonder was so popular; maybe it was his affiliation with Batman, or some old grudge back when the Titan was in Gotham. Or, perhaps it was because Robin was the leader, and if the villain took down the leader, he could most definitely take down the rest of the team easily.

Her captor's second focus was Starfire. Raven wasn't really surprised; most villains seem to flirt with Starfire during fights.

Turning the water off, Raven stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around her body snugly. Hot showers were a semi-good replacement for hot tea, but still not enough to release her pent up stress. Wringing her short dark hair, she reached for her uniform.

Disregarding the present situation, Raven wasn't the type to invade a person's (let alone a villain's) home by occupying their shower for long periods of time. But he had invited her to use whatever resources she needed to "make herself at home", and she planned to take advantage of that. Raven rolled her eyes while reflecting on their short conversation before he left. Honestly, the man was either a terrible villain, or a nutcase, if he was one, allowing her to shower in his home, two, basically telling her it was okay to wreck his house, and three, leaving her alone to do whatever she pleased.

Raven didn't mind it that much though. Being alone was her forte, and she could finally relax without Beast Boy blasting his music in the background, or Cyborg yelling at the TV.

Pulling on her leotard and cape, Raven quickly got dressed, and walked over to a room with a large window. Due to the inconvenient 'x' placed firmly over her mouth, she couldn't get herself up in the air to float, nor could she control her emotions by repeating the usual mantra. Frustrated beyond belief, Raven ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor, taking deep breaths through her nose.

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><p>"Hey, Cutie."<p>

Raven didn't move. Her fists were clenching and the hatred she had for said person was increasing.

"Miss me?"

The taunting voice of Red X was enough to make Raven rip her hair out, and throw herself out the window. But Raven quickly ruled out both options after taking in account that she couldn't fly, and also that she kind of liked her hair the way it was.

If she weren't so angry at the person standing at the doorway, she would of speculated on why he had called her "cutie" instead of some other nickname. "Cutie" was a name he reserved for Starfire; girls he liked. He never called Raven anything special; he didn't even call her by her name. Did he even _know_ her name?

"You're being quiet, Birdie. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

He was mocking her again. Aggravated, Raven put her fingers at the corners of the "x" and pulled as hard as she could, trying to get it off her mouth.

"Look, Sunshine, I'll make you a deal. I'll remove that thing off your face, if you promise not to run away."

Raven stopped tugging, and folded her arms across her chest, giving him an incredulous look. She had no idea which she was more irritated by; the 'x' on her face, or the miscalculations of her kidnapper. Did he expect her to stick around once granted the full ability to use her powers? She would fight, and she would fly back home.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Pulling once again, Raven tried to get the contraption off of her. How was it that this thing could stick to her face so well?

"It's not going to come off, Birdie, so might as well give up."

Raven stopped pulling at the "x", knowing that Red X was right. She could always lie to him, tell him she wouldn't leave, but do it anyway once it was off. Then again, he could place it right back over her mouth just like he usually did.

"You look kind of cute when you're annoyed."

Raven stared hesitantly at the masked man. She couldn't tell if he actually meant it, or if he was just joking.

Raven had never been called "cute" before, and for this stranger, for this enemy, to call her such a name… well it was odd. She had been an outcast, a _demon_, all her life and such flattery was not something she was accustomed to.

If what he said was supposed to be a compliment, that is.

There was a moment of silence as Red X contemplated on what to say next. Raven_, _on the other hand,had a lot of things to say without the need of contemplation, but unfortunately, if she tried talking, all her words would sound muffled and incoherent.

"You know, you're no fun when you can't talk," Red X began slowly, thinking as he said it. "But I can't have you flying away."

Throwing her hands up in the air in both annoyance and disbelief, Raven stomped past him, their shoulders brushing slightly.

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><p>"This is not like Friend Raven to not come out of her room all day," Starfire said worriedly.<p>

The Titans were eating waffles in the kitchen, and despite her cold demeanor, Raven had always showed up to eat with the team. Always, until now.

"Yeah, and she loves my waffles!" Cyborg remarked, stuffing his fork in his mouth.

"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled, as Cyborg stole a waffle from his plate.

Terra giggled and took a waffle from Beast Boy while he was shouting at Cyborg. When the green changeling returned his eyes back to his plate, he immediately noticed the missing waffle and eyed the room suspiciously.

"Who did it?" Beast Boy asked accusingly, glancing at Cyborg in the back of his eye to make sure the sneaky half-robot wouldn't take another.

Even though it was quite obvious that Terra had stolen the waffle, the love struck shape shifter refused to blame it on her. Ever since she had regained her memory, Beast Boy had been extremely protective of her to prevent another tragic incident from happening.

"Oh calm down, BB, there's tons more over there," Terra smiled sweetly, pointing to the plate of waffles sitting on the counter.

"Friends!"

By this time, Starfire had gotten incredibly frustrated with the team, and resorted to standing up and yelling to hold their short attention spans.

"We should do the looking for Raven! She has not come out of her room all day!"

Standing up, Robin put a comforting hand on Starfire's shoulder, making her distressed face soften.

"Look, I'll go talk to Raven, I'm sure she just wants to be by herself today," Robin said calmly, leaving the kitchen to Raven's room.

This was not anything new to Robin; he seemed to be always the one who talked to Raven when she was feeling down, or just when she needed him. It wasn't that the others were scared of Raven; it was just that he was the only one who understood her.

Robin knocked on Raven's door politely. "Raven, you all right?"

No answer.

Robin waited about ten seconds, before knocking a bit louder. "Raven?"

No answer.

Knocking even louder, Robin practically shouted at the door in such a high volume that it was no doubt everyone in the tower, and the rest of the city, could hear him.

Knitting his eyebrows together, he stared at the door as if it should open in a second or two. However, the door did not move.

"Friend Robin, are you the oh of kay?" Starfire peeped, zooming up next to Robin.

"I don't think she's in there," Robin announced sullenly, causing Starfire to gasp.

"Then where could she be? Should we do the looking?"

Robin nodded, kicking the door open so that it fell to the ground. He hated snooping around in Raven's room, only because a lot of the time, he could identify with the girl. He, himself, hated it when people went snooping in _his_ room, maybe not to the full extent of Raven's hatred for the action, but still.

"Robin, come look," Starfire said softly while Robin sifted through Raven's dresser.

Noticing the nervous and unsteady voice, Robin rushed over to see what was wrong, and saw Starfire pointing to a large red "X" sitting on Raven's bed.


	2. The End

**Chapter 2: The End**

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><p>If there was one thing no one could change about Raven, it was the fact that she hardly slept through the whole night. Every night, for as long as she could remember, Raven would always get up, wander around the empty corridors of the tower, read a new book, or make herself some tea. Just because she was in a new environment now, it didn't mean her habits would change.<p>

Wait. New environment.

Raven groaned. She had hoped that when she woke up, she would be back in her bed, either realizing that the Titans had saved her from Red X's clutches, or preferably, that it was all some weird twisted dream.

Sighing, Raven turned over on the mattress. She missed the comfort of the Titans Tower; she missed the comfort of her room. She missed waking up in the middle of the night, grabbing a book from her bookcase and reading through it like she had never seen the book before in her life.

Most importantly, she missed her friends. Raven couldn't help but wonder if they had noticed she was gone. They must have. Robin must have.

Robin.

It wasn't that Raven particularly liked Robin _that _way; he was just the only one who could understand her. He never called her creepy, weird, or antisocial. He accepted her for who she was, and she could never ask for a better friend.

Raven touched the "x" that was still plastered over her mouth; her fingers skimming the edges, looking for a loose point that would help her rip it off.

She looked over at the clock, seeing that it was 2 AM. Maybe, just maybe, Red X wasn't up. Maybe, just maybe, she could escape from him. She didn't need her powers. She could walk. She'd find her way back if it was the last thing she did.

More determined than ever before, Raven stepped out of her room, carefully sliding the door back to its original closed position. Her footsteps were quiet and cat-like, almost tip-toeing past Red X's bedroom. She wondered if she should peer inside, see if he was still sleeping in there; see what monstrous face was behind that mask of his.

But Raven had no time.

Soon enough, the sun would be up, and he would realize she wasn't in bed. He would realize she escaped, and go looking for her. Unless she moved fast enough, she would get caught again.

Raven managed to get to the front entrance, silently opening each lock, and pushing the door open.

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><p>It was raining. Great.<p>

Raven trudged through the wet terrain, wandering in what she hoped was not a huge circle.

One of the many negative sides of having an "x" over her face was the fact that she couldn't breathe through her mouth when the polluted air was making it hard to breathe through her nose. She refused to pass out… and wake up in Red X's house. If he bothered to save her, that is.

Would Red X save her?

Probably not. From what Raven knew, he wasn't much of a good guy. Then again, he wasn't much of a bad guy either. So what was he?

Raven mentally reprimanded herself. The last thing she needed was to go on thinking about Red X. It had come up as an _obsession_, no; Raven was not turning into a Robin. She was not obsessed. Not in the slightest. She was just curious; she wanted to know who or what was behind that mask, why he separated her from her friends, and what he did to her friends, if he did anything at all.

Coming up to the edge of a cliff, Raven groaned. She could see the Titans Tower on the other side of a large gully in the distance, but knew there was no way to get to there if she couldn't fly. Frustrated, Raven pulled at the "x" again and again, hoping that it would magically come off this time.

She grabbed at the edges, the corners, and the front; hell, she even tried to open her mouth enough to bite it with her teeth. Yet no matter how hard she tried, and how hard she wanted the contraption _off_, nothing worked.

Taking a couple steps back, Raven began to shift and move around, stepping over rocks and sticks as the "x" resisted against her fingers, sticking strongly to her face.

"Mmmph," Raven managed to mumble, falling in the process.

However, instead of landing on the wet ground like she had anticipated, she was still falling, and falling fast.

"Mmmmph!" Raven screamed, pulling more aggressively. The realization that she had fell off the cliff came to her quickly, and she was now hoping that the "x" would come off before she reached the bottom.

If matters couldn't get any worse, Raven was falling _backwards_.

Her fingers grasped at the corners one last time, and with a final effort, Raven strained to pull the thing off.

But it wouldn't move.

Outstretching her hands, Raven managed to grab a lone branch hanging off. The branch looked as if it was about to split from her weight. She took the opportunity to calculate her death; see how far she was from the ground. Immediately after looking down, Raven regretted doing so. The bottom was black and she could see nothing past twenty feet.

_Crack._ She could hear the branch breaking slowly, each snap caused Raven to wince.

This was her end.

No more books. No more tea. No more chances at happiness. No more pizza. No more Titans. No more Robin. No more Cyborg. No more Starfire. No more Terra. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she knew she would miss Beast Boy too.

This was it, Raven thought to herself. Did she live the life she wanted? The answer was yes. Even if her life ended in this terrible fate, she wouldn't take back anything. The Teen Titans weren't just her teammates, they were her friends; they were her family. They were the people that accepted her when no one else would.

With a final inhale of breath; Raven heard the branch make its final snap before breaking apart and falling towards the black depths below.

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><p>"It's all my fault!" Robin shouted again, slamming his fists down on his table.<p>

While the other members of his team were searching for their missing friend, Robin had insisted on staying in his room all day until he figured out where Red X was keeping Raven, why he wanted her in the first place, and what he intended to do with her.

Batman had taught Robin all his knowledge when it came to investigation, yet the boy wonder was still stumped.

"Why does nothing make sense?" Robin yelled, this time grabbing papers and shoving them off the desk.

"Raven," he repeated to himself. "Why aren't you back yet?"

Raven was pretty independent, everyone knew that, and had powers that were unimaginable to anyone on the team. So why wasn't she using them? Why hadn't she escaped? Raven was perfectly capable of fighting Red X, though her hand-to-hand combat was bad; she certainly had an advantage with magic.

"Unless she couldn't use magic," Robin said aloud. "But why can't she? What would Bruce say?"

"Who is the Bruce?"

Whipping his head around, Robin noticed Starfire shyly standing by the door. Oh God, his adoptive father would not be too happy to hear that he was giving away his identity.

"Uh, it's no one," Robin said, although his words were barely audible.

"Robin, I tried to knock on your door, but you did not open," Starfire mumbled, playing with her hair. "I wanted to know if you were all the right?"

Unlike the other times Starfire had come up to comfort him, the stern look in his face didn't soften at hearing her voice.

"What do you think, Starfire? Raven's been taken, and I can't figure out where or why!"

His voice was harsh, maybe a bit too harsh. Fortunately, the Tamaranean girl didn't seem to be too bothered, she was probably used to all of his tantrums by now. That was one thing Robin always liked about Starfire; she was a listener, and she didn't seem to be deterred from helping him just because of his emotional outbursts.

"Friend Robin, the fault is not yours," Starfire answered, walking towards him and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Please Robin, stop blaming Robin."

"But it _is _my fault, Starfire!" The boy wonder felt like shaking off the girl's hand, but knew it might hurt her feelings, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. "No matter how hard I try, nothing goes right! I was supposed to be up last night! I was supposed to organize my files! But I decided to get one night of sleep because I was so tired. I should've made myself stay up, I would've been able to save Raven!"

"Then, the fault is mine too. I wished to stay up and read the book friend Raven provided. But like you, I was too tired, and chose to do the sleeping," Starfire admitted. "So, Robin, is it not my fault too?"

"No!" Robin spoke, a bit too loudly, and a bit too coldly. He automatically lowered his voice when he saw the hurt expression in Starfire's eyes. "I just… I'm the leader, Starfire. It's my responsibility."

"Then, can you not share the responsibility, Robin? I do not want you to be angry at yourself anymore." She took a pause, and looked at him with her bright green eyes. It was often that she wondered what color Robin's eyes were, but knew better than to ask.

"Robin..."

"Yeah, Starfire?"

"You are my best friend, and I know you mean well, and I know you know what you are doing. But, your friends and I want do the helping. We do not want you to break the down any longer."

Robin stared at her long and hard, choosing his words carefully.

"Starfire, I appreciate what you're trying to do. But this is a family problem."

Starfire's hopeful expression died. Her eyes were becoming wet with tears, and Robin felt bad, but there was nothing he could do. A teardrop fell from her cheek, sliding down her chin, and hitting the floor with a loud thud that made Robin shiver. He would make it up to her after this whole thing was solved. He swore by that.

The Tamaranean backed away, looking at him sadly one last time before sliding the door open, and closed, leaving in the process.

Robin rubbed his temples and stared at a news article of Batman and Robin hanging on the wall. It seemed like so long ago when they were a team. Robin sighed, a feeling of sentimentality waved over him. Without another moment's hesitation, he opened a file that was resting on his desk, a file that he had not looked at in a long time, the file of Jason Todd.

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><p><strong>AN:** For those of you who have never heard of Jason Todd, he's the second Robin (Teen Titans!Robin being the first). After being killed by The Joker, he comes back to life and goes under the alias of "Red Hood". A lot of people, including me, think "Red X" was based off "Red Hood", so that's how I'm structuring the story.


	3. Miscalculations

**A/N:** Just some background information; Jason was beaten by The Joker with a crowbar in the comics. Oh, and if you didn't know, Robin's real name is Dick Grayson.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Miscalculations<strong>

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><p>Raven awoke with a start. Her eyes were scanning the area dangerously and her hair was soaking wet from the pouring rain. She had bitten down on the inside of her cheek, and instantly tasted the recognizable metallic flavor of blood.<p>

Her lip quivered, and the heat in her body suddenly cooled once her mind calmed. The forest was cold. She was cold. Subconsciously, Raven wrapped her cape around her shaking body. The layer of fabric offered little protection against the unmerciful winds and the rainy atmosphere, but it was better than nothing.

Her teeth chattered, and she pulled her knees closer to her body. The cold nipped at her nose, ears, and the back of her neck. Her hands rubbed against her arms, causing the friction to produce a small amount of heat.

Exhaling, Raven could see her breath hanging in the air for just a moment before completely dissipating.

Then, Raven stopped breathing when she sensed another entity near her. Turning her defenses on, she stood up, shivering as she did so, and searched the forest for the sign of another person.

"About time, Sleeping Beauty."

The statement was tinged with sarcasm, bringing her into realization as each word pinpointed every event that Raven had gone through the past two days. She froze. A cold hand uninvitingly placed itself on her shoulder, gripping to make sure she didn't run, but not with enough force to injure her in any way.

"I took it off."

Shivers ran down Raven's spine as she felt a warm breath lingering on her ear.

It took a second, but Raven comprehended nonetheless. Her hands slowly met her face, her fingers drumming over her lips and mouth to see if there was any truth in the boy's statement.

"I don't want you, you know. But I need xenothium, and you're the bait," Red X said, this time holding Raven closer to his body. One arm hugged her waist, while the other was strewn across her chest, fingers tapping lightly on her collarbone. His head was propped on her shoulder. The distance, or lack of distance, between them made Raven feel precarious and uncomfortable. She could feel every breath, every heartbeat, and every word that trickled off his tongue.

His toned arms were embracing her body so protectively that if he let go, she would tumble towards the ground before her. When was the last time someone had held her so possessively? Raven tried to recall, but blanked. All she could think about was Red X's steady breathing; how she could feel his chest rise and fall as if it were her own.

Closing her eyes, Raven tried to regain her control, but she could hardly keep still with Red X's face so close to her own. Her heartbeat almost doubled, and her knees were wobbling, causing him to hold her tighter.

"If they're really your friends, the trade should be easy," Red X chuckled, as if this whole ordeal was nothing but a joke to him. "I'll be out of your hair before you know it, Sunshine."

Raven's eyes opened instantly, widening as his laugh echoed through the forest.

She could do it; she could kill him if she wanted to. For all the stress, for all the pain… No, Raven needed to stop this. She bit her lip to snap back into reality.

Killing someone would result to her being exiled by the team, and exiled from society. Killing someone would prove her father right; that she was a monster created for destruction. But above all, killing someone would go against everything she's worked to prevent happening, for all the years she's worked to be a better person.

So picking the alternative, Raven finally broke away from her captor, feeling the instant rush of cold air hit her back. Her body shook but remained standing, she held her hands in an offensive manner. She would knock him out, and that was all she would do. Not one step further than a concussion.

"I saved your life. You owe me," Red X remarked, a smile undoubtedly forming underneath his mask. His tone was light, as if he wasn't intimidated at all by the girl standing before him.

"You're also the reason why I almost died," Raven responded coldly and monotonously. The less emotion she showed, the more control she had.

"Don't blame this on me. You're the one who ran away."

"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't abducted me."

"All in good fun," Red X shot back, walking towards her.

Raven stood motionless, her hands remained in the same position. She wasn't scared of him, but at the same time, she couldn't help but shudder at the thought of anyone holding her in such a close radius again.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want the xenothium. Your friends know you're with me, and if Dick—that Robin kid is really Batman's son, he'll find you in no time," Red X stated nonchalantly.

"We're not trading with you, and I won't let Robin give you the xenothium," Raven bit back, each word dripping with venom.

"Didn't know you liked me that much, Sunshine," Red X replied, still advancing on Raven.

Raven's cheeks flushed pink, and there was no doubt that Red X's face was twitching into a smirk at the sight. Apprehensively, she pulled the hood over her head, not letting Red X gain any more satisfaction with seeing her incontrollable facial expressions.

But why were her cheeks all red in the first place? And why were her face and ears beginning to feel hot, despite the freezing weather? It was probably some strange internal emotional behavior that she'd have to check out with her mirror later. Because Raven was positive that she wasn't terrified of Red X, she wasn't nervous around Red X, and she most definitely wasn't in any way _attracted_ to Red X.

Raven pushed the thought as far away as possible from her mind. Disgusted with herself for fabricating such a possibility, she turned her head away from her captor, to further prevent him from seeing her now-tomato-red expression.

And with Raven being distracted by her own inner conflicts, Red X had taken the opportunity to grab the girl's wrists and pull her towards him. He then put his mouth next to her ear and whispered something that made Raven's heart stop beating, that made Raven feel like she would sink into the ground, that made Raven feel like cringing and jumping at the same time.

"Don't worry, Cutie, if the boy-blunder'll let you out of his sight, I promise I'll take you out on a date after this is all over."

He let go of her, causing her to stumble backwards.

Silence.

Raven was well aware that she was breathing too hard, and that her heart rate was too fast for normal. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. But the more she waited, the more Red X would taunt her.

Regaining composure, Raven balled her fists.

"Nice try, but your methods of seduction don't work on me."

With that, she screamed her mantra, sending a tree to fall in between her and her captor. She used the time available to her for escaping.

Unfortunately, the tree didn't give her much time, as Red X leaped over it and chased after her. He was faster than she anticipated him to be.

_Snap, snap, snap._ Raven felt each twig beneath her feet break with every step she took. Without looking, Raven could tell Red X was gaining speed. Wait, she could fly. Raven looked up to the sky, attempting to plan out where she would go. There were trees everywhere, and the environment was too black for her to notice every branch that could potentially collide with her head.

She didn't have time to analyze the forest patterns. She had to run now, or fly now. Choosing the option that would most likely be less hazardous, Raven sprinted off. The hood had long-since flown off her head, and her cape was hanging in the air behind her.

There were no other sounds apart from the rustling of leaves and the loud tapping of shoes. That is, until a piercing scream echoed throughout the forest.

Raven's foot got caught on a twig, sending her flying towards the ground. Pain shot up her whole leg momentarily before settling down in her shin and ankle. She could still hear Red X motioning towards her, and decided this would be a good time to fly.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," She murmured, feeling her body lift from the ground, fighting the forces of gravity. With no hesitation at all, Raven flew, trying her best to dodge the trees in front of her that resembled nothing more than black silhouettes suspending over the ground.

Then to her surprise, she no longer heard Red X's footsteps behind her. Raven stopped flying and turned her head to see if she could spy him. But he wasn't there. Taking this as a good sign, Raven caught her breath and collapsed on the ground, inspecting the inflamed area of her leg.

"I think I underestimated you."

Raven jumped, or attempted to jump, at the sound of Red X's voice. She hadn't expected him to materialize before her, though she knew in the back of her mind that teleporting was one of his abilities.

"Most people do," Raven said softly, repeating her mantra over and over again as she was beginning to heal her ankle.

He offered her his hand, but she ignored it.

"I'm not a bad guy," Red X defended.

"Of course you're not," Raven rolled her eyes, too preoccupied with the pain in her leg than the person near her. Once she was done healing, she would fly or run off again. She'd just have to act calmly for the time being, or her magic wouldn't take effect.

"Why don't you just accept the help I'm offering?"

"I don't need your help."

"Look, Sunshine—"

"Don't call me that," Raven interrupted. It always bothered her when anyone referred to her that way. The reference masked her true demeanor, the dark and demonic behavior that was trapped inside her. There was no use in hiding its existence with allusions of rays and light.

"Raven," Red X started, "I just want xenothium. I don't give a fuck about anything else right now, except you."

Raven looked up.

"I need you because without you, the other Titans won't give me what I need."

"If you're so great, _X_, why don't you get your own xenothium?"

Red X shrugged as if the thought never crossed his mind. "Wouldn't be half as fun, and I wouldn't be able to spend time with my favorite Titan."

Raven stared at him, half-disgusted by his response, and half-amused. "Well, I'm sorry to end your party, but I'm leaving."

"Look, _Sunshine_, I don't think you understand. I'm not letting you out of my sight until I get the xenothium."

Her eyes glowed black, but before she could say those magical words, a hand slapped over her mouth and an arm returned to her waist once more.

Raven bit down on the hand, making Red X cringe. However, he didn't move.

"Nice try, but I'm just as stubborn as you."

Raven's brows knit together, and she struggled against his grip. Her elbow jabbed into his abdomen, but the guard he was wearing protected him from any harm. Her ankle hadn't healed properly yet, so kicking him would get her nowhere.

"You know, I'm a pretty good host. You should be grateful. Imagine if The Joker got hold of you," Red X pointed out. "That nasty son of a bitch…"

The last parts of Red X's rant were unheard, but Raven swore she could hear mentions of a crowbar somewhere in his murmuring.


	4. Windows

**A/N:** Sorry for the [very] late update. I've been especially busy and suffered some writer's block. The good news is, I think I've finally decided the direction I want to take this story, which is why this chapter was so easy for me to write. To be honest, I'm not entirely proud, the characters were slightly off-ch

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Windows<strong>

_"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real, too.  
><em>_They live inside us, and sometimes they win."_

-Stephen King

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><p>Raven reclined against the arm of the old couch, her ankle, now tightly bandaged, was resting on a pillow. Next to her was a glass of lemonade, and a book that she had already read twice. She would've asked for another novel to read, but doing such would call attention to Red X, whom she had no desire to speak to.<p>

In some ways, if she closed her eyes, the place seemed like Titans Tower. The TV was loud and blaring, reminding her of Beast Boy. The greasy smell of French fries and the myriad of aromas coming from the kitchen could be mistaken for Cyborg's cooking. And if she tried really hard, she could pretend Robin and Starfire were dancing to the music playing on the radio.

But no matter how desperately she wanted to be back at home, it wasn't a possibility. Her purple eyes began to water as she stared out the large window. In the distance, just over the trees, she could see her home.

Robin was probably pacing the floors anxiously, waiting for her to return. Or maybe he was shuffling through his files, though Raven guessed he probably did that several times already. Starfire was undoubtedly near Robin, maybe crying for Raven, maybe comforting Robin, most likely doing both. Cyborg was probably in his bedroom, too tired for video games; too despondent to do anything but lie in bed thinking. Beast Boy. Beast Boy was harder to figure out, especially since Terra returned. Was he mourning for her like the rest of them? Or was he out on a date? Raven liked to think the green shape shifter had the decency to do the former.

"You miss them?"

The question surprised Raven. Not because she was unaware of Red X's presence (he had been standing at the doorway for a good five minutes), but because she didn't believe he actually cared.

"Clearly."

There was a long pause; leading Raven to believe the thief had left the premises.

"You know I can't take you back."

Gritting her teeth, Raven balled her fists. She had already come to that conclusion the minute she woke up in his wretched home. It would take somebody truly imbecilic to think otherwise.

"But it doesn't mean you have to be such a downer about it."

The whole day, Raven had managed to ignore every snide comment that escaped the thief's mouth. She was used to moronic remarks, having spent a lot of her time with Beast Boy. But there was something about Red X, something that she was not accustomed to, that bothered her to such an extent that she could no longer contain her hatred for him.

Raven stood up, almost slipping due to her ankle, but she was standing nonetheless. Her fingers gripped the side of the couch and she jumped over it, stumbling on the landing. Only a few inches from Red X, her hand reached for his neck, her fingernails clenched into the skin, probably drawing blood. But Raven didn't care.

Her eyes were glowing red, and her teeth were jagged. The voice that escaped her was anything but human.

"You think you can tell me what to do?"

Something tugged inside Raven, and the face she had worn just moments ago was replaced. All her emotions dissipated leaving only one left. Her size doubled so she was looking down at her victim now. Victim. Raven's mouth twitched into a crooked devilish smile.

"What's the matter? Afraid?"

Raven could only assume so. The mask covering Red X's face prevented her from seeing his expressions. He was like a doll. Emotionless. Not alive. Not able to feel the pain. She could do anything to him and it wouldn't matter. The same plastered expression worn on his face was permanent.

Behind the mask, his eyes were probably frightened. His mouth was probably agape from shock. His heart rate probably doubled. The noises his throat made indicated troubled breathing.

But his mask, the mask displayed nothing. Blank.

"Raven," Red X gasped, his hand grabbed onto her arm, trying to pry off the hand grasping his throat.

No avail. Raven wouldn't let go.

"You're dead to me," Raven spat, clutching more until…

Dead. Kill. Demon. Hell. Trigon.

Her head hurt, and she screamed out in terror and in agony. A memory she had pushed away clawed back into her mind, splitting it open. Her vision became black, then white. Then, the room was gone and Red X was gone. Raven turned to her right and her sight refocused. There, on the steps of Temple Azarath lay her body, small and resting, each breath causing her chest to rise and fall in a comfortable rhythm.

Her mother was next to her, Arella, beautiful as always. She softly patted Raven's hair, stroking it until the disciples appeared before them.

"_She cannot stay," One of them announced, in a monotonous manner._

"_That child is a demon, she must leave immediately, or there will be no hope for Azarath," Another added._

"_Do you remember what happened to Juris?" Someone else said._

_The disciples all nodded in solemn understanding and agreement._

_Arella stood up, calm and collected, her fingers leaving Raven's hair._

"_She will be brought under Azar's teachings, no harm will come to Azarath."_

"_Remember the prophecy, Arella, it is only a matter of time."_

Raven's smile faltered, her eyes widened, turning to their regular purplish hue. Letting go of Red X, both entities fell to the floor. Raven gasped, her hair falling in front of her face. Across from her, she could hear unsteady breathing.

"What's going on?" Red X choked out. His voice was raspy and strained.

Raven didn't answer. She couldn't answer. What _was_ going on? She couldn't remember the last time her emotions controlled her. She couldn't remember the last time she was so terribly upset or terrified that such a power unleashed from her, almost killing a living being.

Killing. Her mind focused on that one thought. She had almost killed Red X. She had almost killed. Her head ached, and the voices of the Azarathians invaded her mind yet again.

"_She is a curse."_

"_A demon child."_

"_She cannot stay here."_

Tears streamed down Raven's pale face. She was a monster. They were right. They were always right. She was the devil's child, there was nothing but evil inside of her. How could she have convinced herself that something so destructive was no longer apart of her, when it was hiding under the surface the entire time, waiting for its chance to jump?

Her lip quivered. She almost done it, she had almost—

Turning her head, the hood fell onto her shoulders with a _swish_, revealing her lugubrious expression.

"Leave me alone," Raven whispered softly, no force behind her words. She turned away, expecting—hoping—he would go.

"Look-I," Red X began, running through words and phrases in his head. Despite his present mindset, his thoughts remained reflective of his past. Sympathy tempered his typical façade.

"Leave me alone," Raven repeated, stronger now, verging on anger.

Red X feared she would snap, and contemplated on whether to do what she suggested. But then again, he didn't take orders from anyone.

"I'm-"

"Leave me alone!" Raven shouted, her knees hit the ground and she dug her face into her hands. "Leave me alone."

Leaning down, Red X extended his hand, motioning towards her face, and touching it tentatively at first. Raven tilted her head up slightly in protest, her mouth moved opened slightly as if she were to say something. Expecting to be reprimanded, Red X prepared to move his hand back. But the scolding never occurred. Instead, Raven's jaw locked, and she gazed down dejectedly, accepting the aberrant action.

Before the moment could be ruined with awkwardness and questions, Red X quickly wiped the remaining tears sliding down her face, and withdrew his hand. He silently left the room.

Limping over, Raven returned to her position on the couch and closed her eyes, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

The sky was dark, but a yellow light flooded into the room. Shivering twice from the draft, Raven sighed as she stared out into the open woods, longing to be home. A figured moved past her, and Raven felt a much needed blanket land on top of her body. Embracing the warm material, she snuggled underneath it. She listened closely as footsteps treaded towards the door and hinges squeaked as it was starting to close.

"Goodnight, Sunshine."

The door shut.


	5. Post Blue

**Chapter 5: Post Blue**

"Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell."

– Joan Crawford

* * *

><p>Yellow sunlight seeped through the windows and a soft beeping reverberated throughout the hallways. With both eyes closed, Robin reached over his nightstand, grabbing blindly for his mask. His hand slipped over the edge and fell, lazily hanging over the bed.<p>

"Robin?" The voice echoed and quickly, Robin's blue eyes flash opened. His hand returned to its searching position, snatching the mask off the table and plastering it onto his face. With a tap, he pressed the alarm clock to power off, and straightened up in his bed.

"Robin," The voice repeated.

"Coming," He responded acquiescently, motioning closer to the door.

The panels slid open and unexpectedly, a blonde girl stood by the doorway. Her hands previously placed on her hips in an impatient manner dropped down when she locked eyes with her leader. She was fully dressed in her usual get-up: black turtleneck crop top and yellow spandex shorts. Her goggles were lopsided and half-falling down the side of her face.

"Terra," Robin greeted, not attempting a smile.

"Look, Robin, I know you're tired so I'll cut to the chase," Terra said automatically, as though she had rehearsed the statement several times before. Her hands were trembling at her side and she was biting her lip every so often.

"Raven's been gone for five days and I know I'm new and all and I shouldn't be telling you what to do… and you probably don't want to hear what I have to say after everything, and you're probably still not over the terrible things I've done… but we've gotten no word about her—Raven, I mean—and I really hope… but she could be dead. And if we don't figure out a plan, then I think, if she's still okay right now, she might not be okay. And Robin, I just—I think we should take Red X's offer and hand over the xenothium in exchange for her."

She huffed at the end in relief and repositioned her goggles, waiting anxiously for an answer.

Having processed her barely coherent statement, Robin stepped outside his bedroom, sliding the door panels closed.

"I'm glad you're concerned, Terra, but I've got this under control," He said monotonously. "We're not negotiating with a criminal."

Terra quirked her eyebrow and crossed her arms unconvinced. "What do you mean? Raven's been gone for a week! When do you think it's time to act?"

"I've got this under control, Terra," Robin repeated more sternly this time, closing any room for argument.

They stood in silence as Terra tucked blonde hair strands behind her ear and folded her arms across her chest.

"You know, Robin, I had a lot of respect for you. I always thought you were a dependable and a cool guy—from the first day I met you. But I was wrong. You won't let go of your stubbornness just once to save a friend."

She stomped away, hastily grabbing hold of a shape shifter hiding behind one of the columns. Turning his green head over his shoulder, Beast Boy glanced once at Robin, flashed him an annoyed expression, and ran off with Terra.

Sighing, Robin headed the other direction to the gym. None of his friends understood and he was afraid to make them understand. Red X was not a person to mess with; he was not a person that Robin felt he could trust. He was impulsive, angry all the time, and could easily go back on his word if he was pushed hard enough. He knew all of Robin's moves. He knew all of Robin's strategies. He learned everything that Robin learned. And maybe he was better.

Or maybe Robin was letting this all get to his head.

* * *

><p>Her head rested on her left hand, while her right hand was preoccupied with mixing the soggy cereal and milk in front of her. On the opposite end of the table was Red X, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes staring at her, observing her as if she was a caged animal at the zoo.<p>

It only took a few more silent seconds before the silver spoon fell from her fingers, landing hard against the metal bowl. Its_ clang_ resonated throughout the house.

"Will you stop?" She asked bitterly.

"Stop what?"

"Stop staring at me," Raven muttered.

Red X leaned back against his chair, kicking his feet up onto the table, and rocking back and forth. "It's interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"You."

"In what way?"

"Yesterday night. What happened to you? You just… snapped," Red X said.

"It's none of your business," Raven responded coldly, pushing her chair back from the table and standing up briskly. Though she had mostly healed her ankle, there was still a bit of a limp in her walk as she headed towards the large windows.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere._ Thanks for the concern_."

Outside, the heavy rain pattered against the rooftop. It was loud, distracting, yet calming at the same time. Raven watched, mesmerized, as each droplet hit the window, sliding down the glass.

Taking a deep breath, she crossed her legs together, levitated herself into the air, and spoke her mantra softly and quietly.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath…"

_BOOM!_

A loud noise interrupted her, and she turned around quickly on impulse. Her heart stopped momentarily as she dropped onto the ground, fingers digging into the carpeted floors. Debris covered the area in front of her, large pieces of brick and wood continued to fall, catching fire and raising the temperature of the room. The once-porcelain kitchen floor was now black and scratched. Electrical appliances sparked a few times before fizzling out completely. Smoke grew darker, surrounding her body and encasing the room in an opaque haze. Careful not to step on broken glass, Raven inched closer to the source of the smog.

"Raven."

She turned abruptly, changing direction, and followed the croaking noise; pained, anguished, and barely audible. She coughed, waving the clouds of smoke in front of her face. Squinting her eyes, she could see a figure not too far ahead of her, lying on the ground.

"Red X?" She called.

"Raven."

Raven covered her mouth when she saw the boy. His uniform was torn up in the chest area and blood seeped from under the black fabric. His mask was ripped at parts, and it was now loosely covering his face and showcasing a tuft of dark hair from underneath.

Raven placed her right hand on his chest and cringed as the blood stained her skin. He flinched at the contact but remained still after. Closing her eyes, Raven breathed out a weak "Azarath Metrion Zinthos".

_AH!_

With a terrorizing scream, pain transferred from Red X's body into her own. Needles pushed into her chest and fire surged through her veins. Every muscle in her body was enflamed and she cried out again in agony, but refused to break the connection. Her heart pounded, rapidly going faster and faster as her left hand stretched and clenched itself in and out of a tight fist.

The air grew hotter and she was surrounded in a ring of fire. The flames rose higher and higher, catching onto the curtains and spreading farther around the room. Her vision distorted and smoke caused her to grasp at her throat for air. She couldn't breathe.

Panicking and desperate, she closed her eyes, tears sliding down her face. She coughed and choked on the musty air, mentally holding herself together as much as she could, but the walls were breaking. Grinding her teeth together, she screamed one last time before collapsing onto the floor, struggling for oxygen.

Blackness clawed at her mind, consuming her thoughts into empty space.

* * *

><p>Strong arms snaked under her knees and body, lifting her from the ground and pulling her close. Her head fell back and she stared up at the crumbling ceiling, waiting to pass out, no longer fighting her inevitable fate.<p>

She was moving faster. He was running, leaping over the fragments of wall and passing the blinding smoke. Raven couldn't feel her limbs, the stinging aftermath still washing over her body in waves of pain.

Rain hit her face, slithering down her nose and cheekbones. She curled herself into the boy's chest, her heart pounding through her ears as her eyes closed. Exhaustion crept up on her, pulling her into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>Fluttering her eyes open, Raven became very aware of the wet grass tickling her skin. The stormy clouds were fading away, and the heavy shower turned into a light sprinkle.<p>

She rolled her head to the side to see the boy sitting by a tree. His elbows were resting on his knees and his face was hiding behind his hands. His hair was black like Robin's, which made Raven sit up almost immediately. However, her heartbeat regulated when she noticed a white streak damply sticking to the right side of his forehead. Definitely not Robin.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I don't know if it was ever showcased on the _Teen Titans_ tv series, but I mentioned Raven's ability to absorb someone else's pain in order to heal them, so that's what she was doing with Red X. Also, the last line is a bit ironic for anybody who loves DC comics :P.

I'm pushing to write a new chapter by the end of the week, or maybe even by Tuesday. Writer's block is finally going away.


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